When Words Are Scarce
by ilovetvalot
Summary: Tenth in our "Shakespeare Series" of post eps. This is the coda for "Compromising Positions". When Hotch watches Emily too close to harm's edge, how does the fearless leader react when fear is all there is? Follows Hotch and Emily's relationship.


_**Author's Note: Hello fellow readers and authors! A few housekeeping items for the day. First, we are pleased to announce that we are ahead of schedule and the FINAL VOTING BALLOT IS NOW AVAILABLE for the first ever ff. net based 2010 Criminal Minds Profiler's Choice Fanfic Awards at "Chit Chat on Author's Corner" forum. To vote, you can access the forum through either my (ilovetvalot) or tonnie2001969's profile pages. Details, rules and the voting ballot are available at the forum. We had seventy-nine unique nominators choose 130 of their fellow author's works. So, let's all go grab a ballot and choose the authors we feel deserve those votes. You have until November 30, 2010 to get your ballot entered. Don't forget to send it to the Profiler's Choice CM Awards private message box. Ballots will NOT be accepted at either ilovetvalot or tonnie2001969 inboxes.**_

_**Anyone that chooses to assist us in publicizing the voting process for the 2010 Criminal Minds Profiler's Choice Fanfic Awards can also visit our profile pages. We have a blurb written to copy and paste to either your profile pages or author's notes if you choose. We truly appreciate all the assistance our fellow authors have given us and hope you will continue to support this venture.**_

_**Second, we'd like to encourage you all to take a look at our first ever ff. net based "Criminal Minds Christmas Gift Fic Exchange"! Sign-ups are simple and run through October 31, 2010. Participants can either PM us or join on the forum thread **__**telling us 1) Which pairings you would feel comfortable writing, 2) the central pairing you'd like to be featured in the story you receive as a Christmas gift, and 3) Name a Christmas carol plus three Christmas-y prompts you'd like to see in the story you receive as a Christmas gift (you'll only have to use three of the four items in the actual fic). Assignments will be given on November 1st and you'll have until DECEMBER 25, 2010 to post your gift. Further details are available at the forum. Please, let's make this a Merry Christmas for ALL!**_

_**We also have a new discussion thread open for your comments called, "With Which Character Do You Most Identify and Why?" available at the forum as well as a great new interview with our fellow talented author Starofoberon. Please drop by and leave your thoughts.**_

_**~THE FOLLOWING STORY IS TENTH IN OUR "SHAKESPEARE SERIES" OF POST-EPS. THIS IS (ONE OF) THE POST-EPS FOR "COMPROMISING POSTIONS".**_

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**When Words Are Scarce**

Aaron Hotchner's lips formed a hard, unforgiving line as he stared at the back of Emily Prentiss' raven head. Damn her, he growled to himself, damn her for almost getting herself killed.

And damn himself for letting her near miss affect him this strongly.

He cared about all his agents, each one special to him and irreplaceable in his or her own way. But seeing her so close to a known psychopath, literally inches from his body...watching her reach out her seemingly fragile hand and touch him...it had very nearly undone him. Even now, words seemed impossible...his mind still reeling from what he'd seen...what he'd felt.

His reaction had been unexpected to say the least...that urge to draw his weapon and simply end another man's life with a cold blooded ruthlessness he hadn't experienced since George Foyet had surged before he'd realized it...before he'd recognized it. Now, in hindsight, he could identify it. What he'd felt had been a primal instinct to protect.

To protect her.

The problem wasn't in labeling what he'd felt. No, his skills at analytical thinking were entirely too accurate. His quandary rested with exactly why those feelings had coursed through him, rendering him incapable of speech in the aftermath of her gun's discharge. He'd been forced to rely on Morgan to take charge for a moment while his mind had processed the fact that she was still standing, shaken, but unharmed.

His heartbeat was finally slowing into a more acceptable rhythm; he'd been half convinced for a few moments that he might be having a heart attack when he'd watched the unsub make his move. It was quite frankly the closest he'd come to being paralyzed by fear in a long time, taking him a split second too long in his opinion to react and give the order to move.

But his Emily had been quick, recognizing the signs of an escalating situation with an alacrity that stunned him. She'd had the perfect shot...setting herself up for it from the second she'd bravely stepped up to the plate.

And when the hell had he began to think of Emily in the possessive sense? They were colleagues. He was her boss, and she was his subordinate. And he supposed, if he examined their relationship closely, that they could be loosely categorized as friends of a nature. But none of that should cause him to qualify her as "his" in any capacity.

What the hell was wrong with him?

"You taking root in that spot?" he heard Rossi ask from his left as the other profiler leaned negligently against the black SUV, his gaze on Emily as she shook her head at a paramedic trying to check her ears.

Shooting Dave a censorious glare, Hotch frowned. "Just waiting on Prentiss so we can tie up the loose ends and get the hell out of Akron."

Smiling faintly in the moonlight, Dave cast a sideways glance at his younger friend. "She made a bold move, sidling up to the unsub like that. It took balls," Dave said approvingly.

"Something Prentiss has in spades," Hotch grumbled under his breath. "Unfortunately, those balls could have cost her the ability to go on breathing tonight."

"You gonna reprimand her for this?" Dave asked in disbelief, arching one dark eyebrow at the Unit Chief.

Oh, he'd love to reprimand her, Hotch thought grimly. And if he thought it would make any difference to her future actions, he would. Unfortunately, Prentiss had done what any of them would have in the same position...she'd used what assets she had at her disposal...and in this instance, it had been her femininity. He didn't have to like it, but he did have to respect it.

"Did I say that?" Hotch snapped, his frown deepening.

"Touchy," Dave tsked, his lips twitching. "Careful there, Aaron. Somebody might mistake professional concern for a vested personal interest." Seeing Hotch's gaze darken, Dave held up one hand quickly, forestalling an angry retort. "Hey, I didn't say I would make that mistake."

"See that you don't," Hotch said softly. "I'd feel the same way if any of you had taken that risk," he added belatedly. He could feel Dave's openly skeptical eyes on him and he shifted on his feet. Silently grateful when Dave didn't deny his statement and make an argument to the contrary, Hotch watched as Emily finally walked toward them.

"Are you cleared?" Aaron asked stiffly as she neared.

"Completely," Emily nodded, smiling slightly. "Just the normal faint ringing in my ears. It'll pass."

Looking between his fellow agents, Dave schooled his face into a neutral mask. He knew his amusement would not be appreciated by either of them. "Well, I, for one, am ready to go home. I'll meet you two at the airstrip. I'm glad you're okay, Prentiss. Good job," he said, touching Em's arm lightly and winking at her before striding toward his own SUV.

"What was all of that about?" Em asked, perplexed by the wink and the slightly warning look Dave had shot Hotch before leaving.

"Just Dave being the smug bastard that we all know and love," Hotch muttered, taking a step closer to Emily. "You sure that you're okay? That was a pretty close call."

"I've had closer," Emily shrugged, nervously adjusting her jacket.

Now, that was definitely not something he wanted to dwell on...no matter how truthful her statement was…so instead he chose to simply nod and open the SUV's door, ushering her inside. Waiting until she'd climbed into the passenger seat, he hesitated as he noted her trembling hand reaching for her seatbelt. "Em?" he asked softly, touching her arm again.

Fastening her seatbelt, Emily clutched the strap tightly. "Maybe it was a closer call than I want to admit," she said, not looking at him, her eyes focused on the darkened dash. "I promised I'd talk to his wife," she mumbled, dropping her eyes and staring at her knees.

Nodding, Hotch softened slightly. Since he'd known her, Emily had never been an agent that could take a life, no matter how evil and deranged the life had been, and not feel anything. Each time she pulled the trigger, she was obviously weighted down with a certain amount of grief and guilt. Killing was never a casual affair to her, no matter what crimes their unsubs were guilty of.

It was one of her finest qualities in his opinion...and he hated watching her suffer. "We'll do it together," he offered gently, carefully keeping any trace of pity from his voice. If there was one thing Emily despised, it was pity.

"Thanks," she murmured, forcing herself to look at him. Seeing only compassion and sympathy shining in his eyes, she tried to smile. "He was a normal guy once, you know," she said faintly, looking over his shoulder at the crime scene. "Or as normal as a guy that shares his wife with other sexual partners can be," she amended.

Leaning against the open door, Hotch glanced over his shoulder and shook his head. "I never understood the fascination with swinging. I guess I'm too territorial to understand the lifestyle."

"Me, too," Emily agreed on a sigh, her lips tilting as she let her hands drop loosely to her lap. "I just blame my hang-ups on my strict Catholic upbringing."

"And your mother," Hotch said, lips twitching as he turned around to face her again. "Don't forget your mother."

"That, too," Emily laughed, some of her tension ebbing as she enjoyed his typically dry humor. "Thank you for reminding me."

"Anything for a friend," Hotch said with a rare smile. But as he slammed her door, he could help but wonder if merely enjoying her friendship was going to be enough for him after today.

_**Finis**_


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